Germantown Academy Hires Billy McKinney

Fort Washington, Pa. – Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, Pa.) Athletic Director Jim Finery 1760 has announced the hiring of Billy McKinney as the new Head Coach of the Boys’ Lacrosse Program. In this role, McKinney, who replaces Brian Grady, will provide general oversight to the entire 6-12 boys’ lacrosse program.

Billy McKinney is the new high school lacrosse coach at Germantown Academy.

“The search for a new varsity head coach for boys’ lacrosse was a challenging yet rewarding experience as the Director of Athletics,” said Fenerty. “Challenging in the fact that we were overwhelmed with so many excellent candidates for this position. Rewarding in that this incredible interest in the position is a true reflection of the quality of this program and the young men who have made it so. We are very pleased to have Bill McKinney join the GA community. Bill’s experience and passion for the game of lacrosse is outstanding.”

McKinney most recently coached at his alma mater, William Penn Charter School, where he served as a defensive coordinator for the Quakers from 2007-2008 and 2012-2016. McKinney spent the 2008-12 seasons on the lacrosse coaching staffs of Lafayette College (2008-2009), Haverford College (2009-2010) and Saint Joseph’s University (2010-11).

“I am honored and extremely excited to lead the boys’ lacrosse program at Germantown Academy,” said McKinney. “I would like to thank Director of Athletics Jim Fenerty and Head of School Rich Schellhas for making this incredible opportunity possible.

“The Inter-Ac League is, in my opinion, the most challenging lacrosse league in the nation,” continued McKinney. “I am excited to work with all of the lacrosse players in the GA community in an effort to build a vertically aligned program with a championship tradition.”

As a 2001 graduate of Penn Charter, McKinney is well-versed in Inter-Ac League history. While playing for the Quakers, McKinney earned All-League honors three times for lacrosse and twice for football. He was also honored by the Markwood Memorial Basketball Club as one of the top seniors in the league.

McKinney graduated from the University of Denver, earning a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Economics. He was a long stick midfielder and captain of the Pioneers and he led the program to its first top 10 national ranking and its first berth to the NCAA Tournament. For his efforts on and off the field, he was a two-time recipient of the Student Athlete Medallion Award for outstanding academic achievement.

After college, McKinney went on to play in Major League Lacrosse for two seasons where he helped the Philadelphia Barrage win a MLL title in 2007.

Following his playing days, McKinney founded Big 4 Lacrosse with the intention of giving top lacrosse players in the Philadelphia Area an opportunity to fine-tune their skills and showcase their talent. He served as the Director of Operations for LEAPS (Lacrosse Education Attitude Perseverance Success), a non-profit, which is dedicated to enriching the lives of underserved youth in Philadelphia through lacrosse. He was also instrumental in developing the lacrosse curriculum for the Physical Education Department of the Philadelphia School District.

With 21 returning varsity lettermen, McKinney will have a solid foundation of experience to build upon. The 2016 Patriots (10-13) reached the quarterfinals of the Inter-Ac Challenge last season, where they lost to top-seeded and tournament champions Culver Academy.

Do you know of a high school lacrosse coaching change that I haven’t written about? If so, email me.

About Mike Loveday, Founder/Director: Loveday founded LaxRecords in July 2014 to house the growing collection of performances submitted throughout the years. Loveday has covered high school sports since 2005 and has covered high school lacrosse for ESPN, US Lacrosse and 3dRising. Follow him on Twitter @McLoveday and follow LaxRecords.com @LaxRecords